The National Agricultural Extension Research and Liaison Services (NAERLS) Zaria on Thursday commenced the training of Journalists, researchers and academics on agricultural policy communication.
The training program is being organised by the NAERLS in collaboration with International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Abuja.
Prof. Mohammed Khalid-Othman, director of the institute who declared the training open in Zaria said the programme was necessary and crucial in providing needed knowledge and information to ensure sustainable food security.
Khalid-Othman, represented by, Mr Christ Daudu, Assistant Director, Research and Statistics, said the essence of the training was to guide the participants on how best to perform their legitimate duties.
“This training is aimed at guiding participants on how to perform as journalists, how you can work as academics towards promoting agriculture.
“This is one of the several activities we will be doing to improve agricultural communication,” he said.
He urged the participants to avail themselves of the unique opportunity to improve on their knowledge for the good of all.
In his remarks, the NAERLS Director of Communications, Dr Anagwa Geoffrey said the training was to change the mind-set of journalists from catchy news headline captions to a more critical agricultural concept.
He tasked the journalists to focus attention on analytical issues related to policy by digesting the real agricultural needs that would assist the policy-makers.
Geoffrey said the programme would guide the journalists on how to encourage the youths to embrace agriculture to improve their livelihood and to become employers of labour.
In her speech, Mrs Elizabeth Douglas of IFPRI said the training was meant to promote policy dialogue among stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
According to her the training will provide linkages between the policy makers and stakeholders toward enhanced agricultural participation in Nigeria.
The two-day training drew participants from research institutes, university and representatives of different media organisations. (NAN)
